Chester charity nominated in national ‘giveback’ campaign

Soul Kitchen has been nominated in The BIG Christmas Giveback, a national competition that recognises the people and organisations making a positive impact on local communities, with £1500 in Chester Gift Cards as a possible prize.

A Chester voluntary charity providing support, empowerment and progression for those in need has been nominated in a national competition, The BIG Christmas Giveback, which aims to shine a light on the people and organisations making a positive impact on local communities.

The person or organisation with the most nominations in the competition will win a £1000 Town & City Gift Card, such as the Chester Gift Card, with one person who nominated them winning a £500 gift card. 

Soul Kitchen was established in 2015 and runs a weekly drop-in session each Saturday evening at Campbell Hall, Boughton, with hot food, drinks, clothing, shower facilities, plus support and conversation.  These sessions are used by the Soul Kitchen team as a foundation to help those in immediate need and to build up relationships of trust.

Having graduated from the Soul in a Bowl sessions, team members can then move into Second Bite - a social enterprise run by Soul Kitchen producing shortbread biscuits (shortbread with soul) which are currently sold in the Share Shop café and Chester Townhouse.

Helen Anthony from Soul Kitchen said: 

“We started off near the underpass in Chester, handing out food to those in need. 2 years later, we started renting the space at Campbell Hall on a Saturday evening from 5pm-6.30pm. These drop-in sessions are for anyone struggling with food poverty, no judgement and no questions are asked, but if people want to they can ask for additional support.

“Our service is all founded on food; drop-in provides immediate food support but we want to offer more for those that want and feel ready to move on. Our Soul in a Bowl sessions provide a safe space for people to learn new skills but the best thing is seeing people gradually gaining confidence. We encourage people to visit regularly, and host sessions 3 times per week. After 8 weeks’ attendance, people receive a coveted Soul in a Bowl apron.

“There’s the opportunity to take qualifications, and we provided some business skills training for a girl who wants to set up her own cake business. Two people enrolled in a catering course at West Cheshire College. Our goal is to help people feel empowered, help them to feel good about themselves and to give them something positive to focus on.

“Through our partnership with Chester Townhouse, we hosted the Sunset Café every Friday during the summer giving people training in hospitality. For the winter, it’s a ‘Soup with Soul’ session, where customers can buy soup made by our team members, alongside the shortbread made through our relatively new social enterprise Second Bite.

“We’re fortunate to have lots of support from local businesses in Chester at Soul Kitchen. If we won The BIG Christmas Giveback, we’d use the card to buy essential items for our drop-in but also perhaps to use as a reward for our team members who volunteer for our Second Bite social enterprise. We’d be able to buy them something they want or need for Christmas as a thank you for their work.”

Kate Linford nominated Soul Kitchen and said: 

“Soul Kitchen is more than a charity – it’s a lifeline for those facing food insecurity, loneliness and hardship in the local area. Run by passionate volunteers, Soul Kitchen provides warm, nutritious meals, and a welcoming space for everyone. They also provide practical support to help people rebuild their confidence and connections, such as partnerships with local businesses so they can gain hospitality experience, supporting future careers.

“They are an indefatigable bunch and every pound raised goes directly into feeding and supporting local people, not into overheads. The Chester Gift Card is a good idea because it keeps money local and aligns very much with the ethos of Soul Kitchen which is about local people supporting local causes. Winning The BIG Christmas Giveback and the Chester Gift Card would allow Soul Kitchen to expand its outreach, provide more meals through the winter months, and continue to be a beacon of kindness and dignity in Chester.”

Carl Critchlow, CEO at Chester BID commented: 

“It’s fantastic to read this nomination for Soul Kitchen in The BIG Christmas Giveback, an organisation that is committed to supporting and empowering people in Chester. Please take a moment to vote for your chosen Chester charity, community group or individual in this national competition.”

The Chester Gift Card is part of the award winning Town & City Gift Card concept from fintech Miconex. Over 20,000 local businesses are part of Miconex’s local gift card programs around the world with over £45m spent locally through the cards.

Colin Munro, CEO of Miconex, said: 

“Since its launch, the Chester Gift Card has given back to the city by making it easy to support local businesses including shops, restaurants, bars, salons and hotels in Chester. As cards have to be spent in Chester, it gives people and organisations a local option for gifts, rewards and incentives. The BIG Christmas Giveback is also about giving back. Best of luck to Soul Kitchen in the competition.”

Nominate a person or organisation in The BIG Christmas Giveback at: 

www.lovelocalwin.co.uk

Pictured - Attendees at Soul Kitchen's Soul in a Bowl sessions.